Historic, Progressive John A. Holmes High School
At the recent Chowan County Board of
Commissioners’ Retreat, one of the commissioners remarked that Chowan County
was referred to in the past as “Historic, Progressive Chowan County.”
At first
blush, referring to something as both historic and progressive seems to be a
bit like an oxymoron. Google defines an oxymoron as “a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms
appear in conjunction.” Historic and progressive seem to fit the bill when
thinking about “apparently contradictory terms.” Yet, despite the seeming
contradiction, “historic” and “progressive” can simultaneously and accurately
describe Chowan County and do certainly describe the institution that has
served our community so faithfully for so many years, our high school, John A.
Holmes High School.
John A.
Holmes High School proudly carries forth the tradition of excellence
established on the campus in decades gone by and the tradition of excellence
that was simultaneously built by the former D.F. Walker High School and the
former Chowan High School. The legacies of the schools, teachers, and students
who were so integral to laying a foundation of excellence in education in
Chowan County still reverberate on the campus today. The historic nature of the
school is evident simply by looking at the building and in witnessing the
community pride that built to a groundswell this past winter as the football
team made a historic run amidst sidewalks full of supporters, cheering the team
onward.
Historic?
Certainly! Progressive? Absolutely!
As the
school year drew to a close last year, John A. Holmes senior Daniel Midgette
made history of his own when he became the first student in the school system’s
history to earn an Associate’s Degree from the College of the Albemarle (COA)
prior to graduating from high school. He was also the first student to do this
in COA’s history, an accomplishment so monumental that then COA President Dr.
Kandi Deitemeyer devoted a full-page to Daniel’s success in her final report to
the Board of Trustees of the college. Daniel is now a Junior at the University
of North Carolina at Charlotte, two years ahead of where he would have been had
he not had the opportunities he was granted as an Ace in our local high school.
This year another John A. Holmes High School senior is on track to match
Daniel’s feat and will earn an Associate’s Degree from COA before graduating
from high school. These two students are not the only ones to earn college
credit while still in high school. During the first semester of this current
school year, students at John A. Holmes High earned 228 college credits from
COA. Those credits will go with them as they continue their educational careers
at two-year or four-year colleges and universities.
Seniors
from John A. Holmes High School are faring well in earning admission to the
most-prestigious colleges and universities across the country. In addition,
they are setting and resetting the record for scholarship dollars earned thanks
to the great community support the school receives from several community
clubs, churches, and organizations.
College
may not be the future pathway for every student. Our high school is also
helping to lead the way with preparing our students to successfully earn
industry-recognized credentials while still in high school.
Students earned 167 credentials during the
first semester this year including credentials in: NC
Private Pesticide Applicator; EverFi (Financial Certification); Conover Job
Readiness (Soft Skills); ServSafe; OSHA; WCA Sawblade; MSSC Safety; CPR;
Microsoft; Adobe Photoshop; Adobe InDesign; Adobe Illustrator; and Adobe
Certified Associate Visual Design Specialist. These credentials, recognized and
in some cases, required by industry, will serve our students well as they
prepare for bright futures.
Recently
the high school band earned a Superior Rating at the NCBA Eastern District Music
Performance Adjudication after an outstanding marching band competition season.
The most recent band and chorus concert at the high school demonstrated that
music and the arts are alive and flourishing in the hallways of John A. Holmes
High.
Student-athletes
have brought great credit to the school as well. The Baseball team played in
the Final Four of the State Championship last year and looks to better that
mark this year. Tennis players and wrestlers have also had great success at the
regional and state level, while the football team returned to the State
Championship Game.
As I
consider the great success that our students are achieving in the classroom, in
performance halls, and on the ballfields, I am extremely grateful to the
teachers, administrators, and staff who give so deeply of themselves for our
students and very appreciative of the volunteers and community supporters who
make their success a priority and a reality.
The
Aces are our community’s future. Thanks to historic, progressive John A. Holmes
High School, they are well on their way to a very bright future.
This article originally appeared in "The Chowan Herald" as a column written by Dr. Jackson.
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